P1050 & P1062 and in limp mode

A

andyf1140

Member
Popped out this afternoon and when i started her up to do.e home the EML light came up and I had to limp home on reduced power. When I put the code reader on it I got the P1050 and P1062 codes. Looking it up these seem to be vanos related so I cleaned the connectors to the cam sensor and the vanos solenoids and cleared the codes. The car now starts and runs ok but I'm not sure what caused it.

That's after being quoted £511 to sort the alignment :headbang:
 
Did you actually remove the vanos solenoid and clean them or just the connectors? If the latter them they can benefit from a good soak in carb cleaner. Sometimes they just have to be replaced though.
 
I just cleaned the connectors, the connector for the eccentric cam position sensor was full of oil. I have to admit that I left the 710 cap off a while ago so I think that since the connector fits in a well in the sensor it got filled up quite nicely. Now I have cleaned the connectors it is running better and tickover has smoothed out again.

Has anyone tried these vanos solenoids? 1x Variable Timing Vanos Solenoid Valve For BMW 1 3 5 6 Series X5 X3 Z4 2.0i N46
 
Hmmm, seems to be some precedent that when there has been oil around that sensor (I'm assuming we are talking about the eccentric cam sensor here) then it has to be replaced. I'm not sure I fully understand why, but if it's now running OK then it could just have been the oil corrupting the signal? For some reason the 2.0l cars seem to suffer a lot more problems with both the eccentric cam sensor and the valvetronic motor than the 6 cyl cars.

Those solenoids you link to should be just fine but maybe just run the car for a while and see if the problem re-occurs?
 
I was thinking that it was probably the oil that was corrupting the signal since it now runs a lot better again. After the oil cap incident it has gradually been deteriorating with rough idle happening more and more often. On the way to work this morning it was nice and smooth again. Perhaps a good clean was all that was required.
 
Well the EML light came on again tonight and when I checked the codes it was the same P1050 and P1062 codes I got last time. So I cleaned the connections and cleared the codes but the EML light came back on after idling for a few seconds :headbang:

A bit of googling tuned up a reference to a VVT Control Module. Where can I find it? And is that really likely to be the source of my problem?
 
I would physically take the vanos solenoids out, give them a good clean with carb cleaner and swap them around when you put them back, i.e put the inlet one in the exhaust position and vice versa. Very quick and easy to do.

Failing that, you are probably looking at the eccentric cam sensor (the one that had oil around it) or the Valvetronic motor. Neither are cheap so eliminate the solenoids first. Afaik, both are controlled directly from the ecu. No separate vvt control unit.
 
Thanks ph001. I've ordered a Carly adapter in the hope that I can get more diagnostic information. The local BMW specialists can't fit me in until the end of January! I assume that it's possible to use it while the engine is running to get live readings to compare to what they should be?
 
INPA is better for live data, Carly is better for user friendly coding. Not many people will recommend Carly in here now though since they have moved across to a subscription based payment model.
 
I got to the garage a couple of weeks ago with the intention of changing a steering arm so that I could get the 4 wheel alignment done and the EMS popped up as I moved it to get it on the lift. Luckily I had bought an actuator off ebay which I had in the boot. Also having access to a proper scanner I was able to determine that the actuator was at fault. So I set about swapping it out for the new one. Then we re-calibrated it and started her up and all was well no EML light and thus far it has been fine. Thanks for the assistance :D

Now for moan! It's always had a rough idle and every time I do something that seems to fix it its fine for a while and then it comes back again. After I changed the CCV it was fine for a while, lovely and smooth, but then it came back after a few weeks. Then while trying to fix the error codes I cleaned the vanos solenoids and again it was fine for a while, Finally having swapped out the actuator it seemed a lot better again, but guess what it's come back again :headbang: So I'm lost as to what to try next, is there a diagnostic that would help track the cause down?
 
Is it the same codes as before? When you say actuator I'm guessing you mean the vanos solenoids. It is odd how it seems to fix it but only temporarily. It also seems to be an unfortunate reality that once the eccentric cam sensor has had oil contamination it needs to be replaced.
 
The codes were fixed by replacing the VVT Actuator motor in the head. Or at least they haven't come back after two weeks. It's just not idling smooth, the annoying thing is it has at various times after replacing the CCV and cleaning the vanos solenoids so I know it can it just refuses to play ball
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom